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After emerging victorious in nine of their last 10 matches, Lazio's winless run was extended for a third successive week on Saturday after they succumbed to a surprise 1-0 defeat at the hands of Chievo.

The Flying Donkeys have taken huge strides since the appointment of club legend Eugenio Corini as head coach, but they have nonetheless forged a tendency to blow hot and cold in recent weeks.

Still, they dug deep to withstand heavy Roman pressure at the Olimpico to find the clincher on the hour mark when Alberto Paloschi swept up the rebound from Bojan Jokic's effort which struck the crossbar.

It was the AC Milan product's seventh Serie A goal of the season in just his 10th appearance, and he helped lift Chievo to 11th place.

Lazio, meanwhile, fail to capitalise on Juventus slipping up for a second straight matchday and fall a further point behind the Old Lady in third place.

BOLOGNA 3-3 ROMA

Roma went some way towards avenging their defeat to Bologna earlier in the season by scoring a late equaliser in an explosive 3-3 draw at the Dall'Ara on Sunday.

Inside nine minutes, the Giallorossi took the lead through Alessandro Florenzi after the midfielder raced onto a Francesco Totti through pass before firing the ball across Federico Agliardi. It was the youngster's second goal in as many games.

But just eight minutes later, Alberto Gilardino was at the right place at the right time to apply the finish from Manolo Gabbiadini's failure to wrap up a counterattacking move.

Yet what the former Italy striker could do, his successor Pablo Osvaldo could do better, as in a matter of 60 seconds, the Argentina-born hitman found the back of the net with a free header.

Neither side were content to let the first half go out with a whimper, and it was Stefano Pioli's men who ensured the match went into the restart on a knife edge when Gabbiadini turned and shot in acute fashion.

The former Atalanta starlet's leveller gave Bologna the impetus to fly out of the traps for the second period, and they went one better as a defensive mix-up gifted Cristian Pasquato and the Rossoblu a third goal.

However, a point was destined for both teams as Panagiotis Tachtsidis beat his marker from a free-kick to overshadow his Greek team-mate and debutant Vassilis Torosidis.

Roma have now gone four matches without a win in Serie A and fall to eighth in the table, but Bologna stay 15th and hover over the relegation places.

CATANIA 2-1 FIORENTINA

Fiorentina's new year woes continued on Sunday after they fell to a 2-1 defeat by Catania at the Angelo Massimino on Sunday.

It was coach Vincenzo Montella's maiden return to the Angelo Massimino since he departed in the summer to take control of the Viola, but despite a hugely impressive start at the helm, his troops find themselves stuck in a rut.

Yet the former Roma striker's side took the initiative with their first chance on 22 minutes through Giulio Migliaccio who charged home Manuel Pasqual's corner.

But shortly after the break, Nicola Legrottaglie's header from a free kick caught out Neto as it floated over the Fiorentina goalkeeper to tie the scores.

It was the beginning of the end for the Tuscans, who suffered the dismissal of Alberto Aquilani late on following a straight red card for dissent, as Lucas Castro tucked away Pablo Barrientos' cross.

Catania have now won three on the bounce and leapfrog Roma into seventh place, but Milan's victory over Atalanta means Fiorentina drop out of the top six.

PARMA 1-2 NAPOLI

Napoli moved to within three points of league leaders Juventus on Sunday after they claimed a late 2-1 success against Parma - the first defeat witnessed by the Tardini faithful this season.

On 20 minutes, Blerim Dzemaili's slide-rule pass was expertly read by Marek Hamsik who put his side ahead with a toe-poked finish past Antonio Mirante.

But midway through the second half, Nicola Sansone burst down the left flank and saw his cross take a heavy deflection off Paolo Cannavaro and fly into the roof of the net.

Nonetheless, Edinson Cavani made it a hat-trick of poor offside traps when he latched onto a through ball and glided past the Gialloblu goalkeeper for a priceless victory.

CAGLIARI 1-1 PALERMO

In the weekend's relegation battle, Cagliari and Palermo could not be separated as a 1-1 draw was played out at the Is Arenas.

The Derby delle Isole - or the Derby of the Islands - began in the favour of the Sicilians, who handed debuts to goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino and forward Mauro Formica, as Josip Ilicic rifled home Andrea Dossena's cut-back.

However, with just one minute of stoppage time remaining, Danilo Avelar's cross was turned in by countryman Thiago Ribeiro to share the spoils and maintain the three-point gap between the two sides in the bottom half.

Palermo captain Fabrizio Miccoli and coach Gian Piero Gasperini were also sent off before the final whistle for dissent towards the referee to pile further misery on the Rosanero.

SAMPDORIA 6-0 PESCARA

Mauro Icardi rained in the plaudits on Sunday after his four-goal showing in a 6-0 rout allowed Sampdoria to honour recently-deceased president Riccardo Garrone in the best way possible.

Christian Terlizzi's tug on Daniele Gastaldello's shirt was deemed a penalty offence, and Eder sent Mattia Perin the wrong way to put the Blucerchiati one up on 32 minutes.

Icardi then grabbed the first of his quartet in the dying embers of the first half, breaking clear of an offside trap and driving a low finish into the bottom corner of the net.

Four minutes after the interval, the Delfini backline's failure to address a loose ball allowed Pedro Obiang to break his duck in Serie A with a no-nonsense strike from the edge of the box.

The rest of the afternoon belonged to Icardi, as his instinctive movement saw him run onto another through ball, but this time breeze past Mattia Perin and roll the finish over the line.

Icardi then found himself unmarked in the box to complete his hat-trick, and the Argentine prodigy rounded off a virtuoso display with an inch-perfect effort to resume winning ways and climb to 13th place.

UDINESE 1-0 SIENA

Luis Muriel came up trumps again as he netted the only goal of the game to hand Udinese a hard-fought 1-0 win over Siena on Sunday.

Muriel had already made himself familiar to Italian audiences following his impressive spell at Lecce last season, and he punished Francesco Della Rocca in the middle of the park before scoring the winner from a quick-fire break.

The Tuscans have now lost eight of their last nine matches and fall further adrift. The Zebrette, meanwhile, will be glad to have allayed some of the burden off Antonio Di Natale and move up to ninth place.